Article of wearing apparel and method of producing



Nov. 17, N. E. TILLOTSON RTICLE OF WEARING APPAREL AND METHOD OF PRODUCING Filed April 6, 1935 STATES PATENT ARTICLE OF WEARING APPAREL METHOD OF PRODUCING Neil IE. Tillotson, Watcrtown, Mass.

Application April 6, 1935, Serial No. 15,023 it Claims. (Cl. 91-68) The present invention relates to a method of producing partially water-proofed fabric coverings for the hand or foot, and to the article produced thereby.

The purpose of the invention is to produce in a simple and economical manner coverings of textile material which may take the form of a mitten glove or the like, and which shall retain all of the ventilating properties of the textile material while adequately waterproofing the covering throughout those areas where waterproofing is necessary.

With this and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features hereinafter described and claimed, the advantages of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the following description. r

In the accompanying drawing illustrating the I preferred form of the invention, Fig. l represents a treated fabric glove shown onv a. full-size scale; and Fig. 2 illustrates diagrammatically and on a reduced scale the method of waterproofing the glove by partial dipping.

Fabric gloves are commonly employed for Working purposes, and their advantages and disadvantages are well known. As these gloves are in no sense of the word wateror moisture-proof, it has-been suggested to completely waterproof such gloves by impregnation with waterproofing materials. However, such a. method completely destroys the comfort and wearing qualities of the glove, and makes them generally unsatisfactory.

According to the present invention, I propose to take a fabric glove which may be made in the conventional manner of textile material suitable for the purpose, cut and unite by stitching the material into a general glove form with thumb and finger portions. As indicated generally in the drawing, such a glove may have a body portion ill terminating in fingers l2 and provided with a. thumb H. The body at the wrist is connected with flexible stocking-like material it to engage and hug the wrist of the wearer. This material is preferably napped on the inside to provide warmth and generally improve the qualities. I then assemble the glove upon any suitable form I8, which serves to maintain the glove distended during impregnation. After assembly upon the form the distended glove is partially submerged in a bath of latex indicated generally at 20, in such a manner that the palm or engaging portion of the glove, together with the inner faces of the finger portions, are completely covcred and impregnated with rubber in order that the portions most commonly employed to grasp an object are liquid-proofed to prevent soaking of the glove. In addition, I find it desirable to impregnate the extremities or tips of the fingers and to completely impregnate the thumb portion, all as indicated in the drawing.

The impregnation and the limited penetration is conveniently accomplished by partially submerging the distended glove held in a generally flat form with the fingers in a plane and the thumb projecting downwardly in such a manner that the tips or extremities of the fingers are located beneath the surface of the latex and the back of the glove, including the major portion of the fingers, is above the surface, leaving this portion free for ventilation in the usual manner. By so dipping the glove assumes the general form shown in Fig. 1, in which the portion 22 is left unimpregnated, and with the fabric exposed and the remaining portion 24 is impregnated with rubber and moisture-proofed. The general level of the latex bath is indicated by dot and dash lines AA, in Fig. 1.

The composition of the bath is such as to cause a rubber coating of the desired thickness to be applied to the fabric and to waterproof the fabric without at the same time penetrating therethrough and destroying the napped surface upon the interior. A latex bath suitable for such a purpose is well recognized by those skilled in the art. Obviously, if the thickness of rubber coating is to be increased, this may be accomplished by a repetition of the dipping operation.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the impregnation of the palm of the glove with. rubber not only Waterproofs and protects the fabric, but greatly increases the serviceable characteristics and produces wearing qualities comparable to or better than the wearing qualities of leather gloves, or gloves which are partially of leather and partially of fabric. Obviously .the cost of a glove as herein described is markedly less than that of a composite glove of leather and fabric or an all leather glove.

In addition, the partial impregnation of the glove throughout the palm and the inner faces of the fingers provides an attractive and distinguishing appearance to the article, which defimanner to be completely submerged and enveloped by latex.

2. The method of producing a glove, mitten or the like which consists in first torming the article of textile material with the desired shape and form, holding the article thus produced in a distended condition for impregnation purposes.

and partially submerging the article palm down in a bath of liquid rubber to coat the palm and portions of the fingers, leaving the-back of the glove and fingers free from impregnation.

V 3. The method of producing a glove mitten or the like which consists in first forming the article of textile material with the desired shape and a form, holding the article thus produced in a. distended condition for impregnation purposes, and thereafter partially submerging the distended article palm down in a bath of liquid rubber, the

article being held at an inclination to the liquid level to most deeply submerge the tip of the article and to progressively expose the greater portion of the article as the wrist portion is approached.

NEIL E. 'I'IILOTQON. 

